Half to george



(No Model.)

L. W. MBRRIAM. CELL CASE FOR EGGS.

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f if f LYMAN W. MERRIAM, OF FITOHBURG,

Enron.

PATENT MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO GEORGE O. ALLEN, OF SAME PLACE.

CELL-CASE FOR EGGS.

SPEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 537,471, dated April 16, 1895.

Application filed August 2S, 1894:.

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LYMAN W. MERRIAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fitchburg, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cell-Cases for Eggs, dac.; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My present invention relates to an improved cell-case for containing eggs and similar articles, the object being to provide an economical, light, compact, cheap and easily-handled crating device for holding eggs d-uring their transportation from the producer to the retail dealer, as well as while they are being handled in the various operations of retail selling and delivery.

The invention therefore consists essentially in the construction, arrangement and combination of parts and in numerous details and peculiarities thereof substantially as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the annexed drawings illustrating my invention: Figurel is a perspective view of my improved egg case. Fig. 2 is an edge elevation, some of the cells being shown as open and others as closed.

Like letters of reference design ate like parts in both figures.

A A denote two strips of paper which are placed lengthwise alongside of each other, with their faces opposite each other, and they are secured together at intervals by means of a series of fasteners. Paper or any other suitable similar material may be employed to make these strips. I prefer usually a heavy Manila paper, which is stiff enough to retain its general shape and yet is sufficiently flexible to bend so that the two strips A A may be separated from each other to form the cells B, which receive the eggs. I do not wish to be restricted to any particular material however for these strips, but reserve the liberty of employing any material possessing the requisite qualities.

Along one edge of the strips A, I employ fasteners a, to connect them together. These Serial No. 521.522. (No model.)

fasteners may be simply wire staples or they may be any other desired kind of fastener. Along the other edge of the strips A, I employ pairs of fasteners b b. These fasteners b may be similar to fasteners a as to construction, but they are different in their arrangement, and. besides serving to connect the strips A together, they have the additional function of controlling the size of the cells or pockets B at one end thereof. Opposite each fastener a. in a line passing transversely across the strips A, will be found a pair of the fasteners b, but the members of said pair are not located in said transverse line, but in a line at an angle of forty-five degrees or so, as shown, and hence it will be observed that the provision of these pairs of fasteners b at one edgeand single fasteners a at the other edge of the strips will cause the cells -B between the strips to have a conical or tapering form, being narrower at one end than at the other. This peculiarity of form in the cell is to enable it to receive the egg more perfectly, and to hold it more securely, since the smaller end of the egg will be lodged in the smaller end of the pocket, and also eggs of various sizes can be placed in the cells without any danger of the small ones falling through.

When the strips AA are firmly fastened together they will lie close to each other as shown at the left hand part of Fig. 2, but they can be readily separated to furnish the cellopenings B B as shown at the right hand end of Fig. 2, the larger ends of the cells being at the top. The eggs are placed in these cells B, of which there may obviously be any number, depending upon the length of the strips A. The elastic and flexible character of the paper will hold the eggs securely .within the cells and prevent them from being dislodged or broken.

By the use of a crating device of this kind, the retail dealer can serve out eggs to hiscustomers Without removing them from the cellcase. Its cheapness and ease of manipulation will permit this; also the eggs can be tested without taking them from the case. Many other advantages will also be found to accrue from the practical use of the device.

Having thus described my invention, what IOO I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a cell-case, the combination of the flexible paper strips, a series of fastening staples or pins located along one edge thereof at suitable distances apart for securing the strips together, and a series of pairs of similar staples located along the other edge of the strips and out of transverse alignment with the fasteners on the first edge, substantially as described.

2. In a cell-case, the combination of the elongated eXible narrow paper strips A, the

fasteners a on one edge thereof consisting of wire staples which fasten the strips together, I5 and the similar fasteners b on the other edge, said fasteners b being arranged in pairs and placed oblique to the edge of strips A, in order that the conical pouches may be provided, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

LYMAN W. MERRIAM.

Witnesses:

STILLMAN HAYNEs, Jos. J. KENNEDY. 

